Drier



1950 w. 1.. MORRISON 2,495,535

' DRIER Filed Feb. 16, 1946 v 6 Sheets-Shet 1 I I I I l I I I I I l I II l l I l l l Inventor WZllmi'J Morrison, {7 {Zulu M flitornle gi Jan.24, 1950 w, MORR-ISQN 2,495,535

DRIER Filed Feb. 16, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 l x x i= M [lard L.Morn/son,

Jan. 24,

Filed Feb.

W50 w. L. MORRISON DRIER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor larva Morrison &@MJLM m- 14 ll'ornlfyfi Patented Jan. 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAppflc zti ozii f frtj lzoisdw 6 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a drier, and particularly, to a clothes drier.One purpose is to provide a drier in which the articles to be dried aretumbled in a drying zone in which they are subjected to an elevatedpressure.

Another purpose is to provide a drier in which the condenser andevaporator of the type of system often used in refrigeration isemployed.

Another purpose is to reduce the amount of electrical energy which isnecessary to produce drying in a given length of time.

Another purpose is to prevent an undue increase in the humidity of theair within the room in which the drying is being eflected.

Another purpose is to decrease the wear in the fabric being dried, whichordinarily results from tumbling fabrics against screens or othersurfaces.

Another purpose is to efiect complete drying at a temperature which willbe perfectly safe for delicate fabrics.

Another purpose is to provide an electrically operated drying assemblywhich does not necessitate special house wiring.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of thespecification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a front view with parts broken away and parts illustrated inskeleton relationhip:

Figure 2 is asection on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figures-2 and 4;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Fi u e 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an enlarged section on the line 1-1 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a development along the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a development of the cylindrical 4 evaporator employed; and

Figure 10 is a development of the cylindrical condenser employed.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring to the drawings I illustrate a generally cylindrical tumblingbarrel El having a side or end 54a. The cylindrical portion of thebarrel and its end 54a may advantageously be formed of wood, but anysuitable material having a relatively low thermal conductivity may beemployed. I illustrate the barrel or tumbler as mounted upon the shaft Iat one end, and as supported at the other end by a plurality of rollers45 which engage the neck 20b which may be secured to or be integrallyformed with a suitable cylindrical metallic lining 2 3, which, as willlater appear is or includes the condenser of a mechanical refrigerationsystem. Any suitable outside enclosure' may be provided for the tumbleror barrel 55. I illustrate for example the stationary hollow walledclosing member 22 which may be provided with any suitable lid or endclosure 48 with a gasket fill. As will be clear from Figure 2 thecircumferential cylindrical wall of the member 22 has associatedtherewith a second circumferential cylindrical wall 22b, the two wallsbeing sealed together at their ends to provide an evaporator space inwhich a volatile refrigerant may be evaporated. Thus I employ concentricand relatively rotatable cylindrical condenser and evaporator elements,the condenser element assisting in lining the tumbling space within thetumbling element or drum 5d, the evaporator being fixed in positionabout, and spaced outwardly from the drum which it surrounds. Thecondenser wall 24 is shown as having an outer wall component 25a, thespace between the two walls as at 23 serving as a condenser coil. Aswill be clear from Figures 9 and 10 the inner and outer walls of theevaporator, shown in Figure 9 and the condenser shown in Figure 10, areso related as to define a tortuous path and so as to form a coil throughwhich the refrigerant may flow, during condensation in the condenser,and during evaporation in the evaporator. The lid member 48 is securednot'only to the above described evaporator structure, but to an outerhousing 58; which surrounds the entire drier structure and whichincludes or serves as a supporting base which may rest on the floor orany other suitable surface and which houses the belowdescribedmechanisms.

The member 48 is shown as outwardly slightly conic, and as surroundingan access aperture located in line with the axis of the shaft I and thedrum 54. During the drying operation this access opening is tightlyclosed. I illustrate for example a lid 21 shown as generally sphericalbut as terminating in a short cylindrical portion I'Iband an outwardlyflared flange 21c. A sealing ring 4|, which is shown as of circularcross section, is mounted about the cylindrical section 211). It ispreferably of relatively soft and resilient material such as rubber or arubber substitute, and is fitted tightly about the cylindrical portion21b and against the flange 210.

The sealing ring 4| also bears against a plane face 48a on the innercircumference of the lid member 48. Thus when air is evacuated from thespace within the cover 48 the atmospheric pressure against the lid 21forces the cover 21 axially toward the drum and compresses the sealingring 4| tightly between the flange member 210 and the inner portion' 48aof the enclosing lid or cover 48. In order that the sealing ring 4| mayinitially be held with sufficient tightness so that the amount of airleaking in may be less than the volume which is being removed, I providea horizontally projecting ring 40 which is rigidly fastened to the lidor cover 48, and surrounds the sealing ring 4|. Attached to the ring 48are a plurality of outwardly projecting pins 4%, as shown for example inFigures '7 and 8. These are adapted to engage in camming relationshipwith three helical strip members 43, which are fastened to a ring 39 ofannular section. The ring 39, which is illustrated for example inFigures '7 and 8 is supported by a ring 5l carried upon spokes 25, thespokes being integral with a spider hub ll rotatably supported upon astub shaft or axle 2B which in turn is mounted on the removable closure21. Handles 42 are mounted on the ring 39, whereby the ring 38, the ring5l and the entire spider assembly may be rotated in order to obtain acamming locking action between the pins 40b and the helical projectionsor strips 43. This camming action causes a movement of the entire lidassembly including the closure 21, along the axis of the drum, andpowerfully urges the flange 210 against the sealing ring 4|,hermetically closing the central opening of the cover or front wallmember 48.

Mounted at the end of the stud 25 is a separable clamp 31 which receivestwo vertical rods 34 mounted on gate members or radius bars 30. Theassembly thus provided is pivotally supported by the brackets 33 whichare fixed on the front lid or member 48, and which receive the pivotshaft 34a. Bearing bushings 32 are provided, for continuous lubrication.Stop sleeves 3| are provided to maintain proper vertical adjustment ofthe part. The collar 36 is effective to maintain the support of aportion of the weight of the lid assembly upon the upper gate member orradius bar 30.

It will be understood that means below described are employed to exhaustair from the space within the cylinder 22 and the front member 48.

The shaft I, upon which the drum or tumbling member 54 is supported, issecured by a plate or disc l6 which is fastened to the inner face of thewall 54a by any suitable securing means. An outer cover plate I9 isprovided to surround the end of the shaft l and to protect the fabricbeing tumbled from whatever securing means are employed. As shown inFigure 4, I illustrate screws lib which are of such size and shape asnot to damage the articles being tumbled.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4 the shaft l is provided with twolongitudinally extending canals lb and lo, these canals having drilledconnections or apertures Id and le at the end of the shaft engaged bythe plate It. These communicate with similarly drilled holes If and lgin the plate It, as shown in Figure 5 to provide inlet and outlet forthe refrigerant which is to be condensed within the space 23 of thecondenser 24, 24a.

The flanged plate l8 is-held, by any suitable means, against rotation inrelation to the shaft l; the clearance between the member l8 and theshaft l is sufficiently small so that there is only a minute leakage ofrefrigerant passing through the above connections. It is of vitalconsequence that there be no leakage of refrigerant to the evacuatedchamber surrounded by the evaporator 22 and the lid or cover 48. Itherefore provide resilient packing rings l8, as shown in Figure 4,which surround any suitable shaft portion lm, of reduced diameter. Theseal is maintained by the sliding ring H on the portion lm, which islocked in position by the castelated nut 2| threaded on the extensionlm, tightly screwed into position, and held for example by a cotter pin2 lb.

The shaft I also carries an enlarged double faced shoulder member inwhich is preferably integral with the shaft l, is of hard material, andhas its opposite faces perpendicular to the axis of the shaft I. Thesefaces are plane and smooth, to a limit of the order of three millionthsof an inch. Engaging-with the opposite faces of the member In aresealing rings SI and SH), of any suitable long wearing self-lubricatingand nonporous material. The opposite sides of the sealing rings have a'surface'which constitutes the truncated segment of a sphere, as will beclear from Figure 4. One segmental surface bears against a soft ring 98which is supported in a conical socket or aperture in the member 85. Theother is opposed to a similar soft ring 98a which is provided with anoutward extension 90b abutting against the inner face of the evaporatorend wall 22. It will be understood that said end wall 22 is suitablyapertured. The seal portion 98b is held against the opposed part of thewall 22 by any suitable conic socket plate 89. The parts are lockedtogether by screws 81 which pass also through a reinforcing ring 88 andare provided with heads 81a and nuts 81b. Since it is desired to have arigid mounting, six of the screws 81 may be employed, and thereinforcing ring 88 is of substantial diameter and thickness. Thesupporting bearing member 85 has opposite conical sockets one of whichreceives the soft ring 90 and the other the corresponding and oppositesoft ring 980, opposed to the sealing ring Blc. The sealing ring 9|c hasan outer bearing face opposed to the thrust member ll which is in theform of a ring having a highly finished plane surface perpendicular tothe axis of the shaft l. The ring is axially thrust toward theabove'described sealing assembly by a packing ring I2 provided with apacking l3. The packing ring I2 is thrust into position against thepacking by the pressure of the coil spring l4, one end of which pressesagainst the packing ringl2 and the other against a groove 92a. in thedriving wheel 92. The wheel 92 is rigidly secured to the shaft l, forexample by the taper pin 93. The member is also supported on the screws81 by ears or flanges 86a on the sockets 86. The center of the radius ofthe circumferential surface of the hearing member is maintained strictlyon theaxis of the shaft l, but a limited angular movement of the member85 and the shaft l is permitted. The socket members 86, which supportthe member 85, are held in position by means of positioning springs l5which are compressed between the nuts 81b and the washers 81c held bythe castelated nuts 8111 on the screws 81. This spring restraint permitslimited axial movement of the sockets and bearing upon the screws 21while providing a firm support for the bearing member 55.

The bearing member 55 is provided with internal grooves 85b and tieconnected respectively to the ducts or tubes 95 and b, which form partof the duct system for the below described refrigeration unit. As shownin Figure 4 the groove 55b connects to the interior of the sealing ring9|b, and therethrough to the aperture If. This aperture is drilled tothe passage lo and communicates thereby through the shaft aperture leand flange aperture lg and the condenser duct 23b to the condenser spaceor coil 23.

The groove 850 is connected to the inside of the sealing ring iilc andthereby with the aperture Us to the channel It. Thus is provided aconnection to the aperture 1 ,f in the flanged member it whichcommunicates with the condenser duct 23c and therethrough to thecondenser space or coil 13, thus providing an'inlet tube and an outletfrom the condenser, the flow being in the direction of the arrows asshown in Figure 4.

The sealing ring Sic has a ring face which is in contact with the highlyfinished face of the plane ring H, the plane ring being finished andsmoothed to the order of three millionths of an inch.

Any temporary or permanent deformation of the soft rings 90, 90a and 900will be accompanied by the longitudinal movement of the various elementsbetween the double faced shoulder in and the wheel 92, the expansion ofthe spring ll being effective as a takeup means. At the same time theparts will be properly and tightly positioned in relation to the endwall 22 by the springs I5. However rotary motion of the shaft 0 ispermitted, but with a closure so tight that a partial vacuum may beobtained in the interior of the tumbling chamber.

It will be understood that the chamber formed within the evaporator 22and its end wall and the front 48 and its closure constitutes acompletely enclosed chamber from which air may be evacuated. I providefor example a vacuum pump is driven by a motor 50.

The tumbling barrel 55 may be rotated through the wheel 92, by anysuitable drive, from the motor 55 through a speed reducing means 55a.Both motors, together with the pump 49, and the drives involved, arehoused within the outer housing 58.

Permanently secured to the lid 27 is a perforated closure 28, adapted toretain in the barrel or tumbler 54 the material being tumbled therein,while permitting a free flow of vapor from within the chamber.

Stated generally, I provide a tumbling area within the condenser 22, inwhich the articles to be dried are positioned while still wet. They aretherein subjected to or maintained in a rarified atmosphere by theoperation of the vacuum pump 49, connected to the interior of thehousing by the suction pipe 490,- effective to reduce the pressure ofthe space involved to less than the atmospheric pressure. The goodsbeing tumbled are subiected to the tumbling action caused by therotation of the drum 54 by the motor 55. However the drum is lined bythe condenser of a refrigeration system which includes the motorcompressor unit 56.

Evaporation of the refrigerant takes place, in response to the operationof the motor compresser unit 56 operated by the motor 51. Evaporation ofthe refrigerant begins within the annular 6 space 22b thereby chillingthe cylindrical evaporator 22. The heat of evaporation is carried by thevapor issuing from the evaporator chamber to the compressor 55, where itis compressed. The compressed gas is conducted along the tube 94b, tothe bearing member 85, to the groove 850, through ducts lk, lb, Id, Ifand 230, into the space 23 in the lining or condenser member 24. Theheated gas there comes in contact with the circumferential condenserwall 24 traveling in a tortuous passage completely around the wall orliner 24, and returning by means of the tube or duct 231:, the ducts lg,le, I c and la to the groove b and the duct 94. Then it passes by meansof the groove 85b and the duct 94 to the expansion valve 940, where thepressure is reduced and the liquid is returned for evaporation to theinterior of the cylindrical evaporator member 22. The nature of thetortuous passage through the evaporator 22 is illustrated in Figure 9,where the liquid refrigerant admitted to the central top inlet passage22:: flows in opposite directions about the cylindrical evaporator toescape from the opposite bottom outlet aperture 22y, one half of whichis shown at each end of Figure 9. The passage of the refrigerant throughthe condenser is similarly illustrated in Figure 10, from the inletpassage 230 to the outlet passage 231). Thus it passes almost completelyaround the cylin-' drical condenser structure.

By means of this procedure, the heat required to bring the moisture inthe clothes to the temperature of vaporization and the heat of vaportheevaporator 22 and is accumulated at the bottom of the chamber formed bythe evaporator 22,

until the drying has been completed. The moisture, in condensing uponthe surface of the evaporator 22, yields the latent heat of evaporation,which is absorbed by or transferred to the evaporator to cause theevaporation of the refrigerant within the interior evaporator space 2%.This heat is carried by the vapor of the refrigerant to the compressor55. The identical heat, to which has been added the heat of compressionfrom the compressor, is again led through the sealing members abovedescribed, to the condenser 23 and the metallic condenser lining 25,where the process is accumulatively repeated until the sensible moisturehas been removed from the en closure or surrounded space. Thereafter thedried clothes are removed by opening the lid 2?, and the condensedmoisture is released from the bottom of the chamber enclosed by theevaporator 22, by means of any suitable valved outlet 59.

I wish to emphasize that by relying upon the heat of the condenser todry the article that is to be dried, and by relying upon the coldertemperature of an'evaporator to precipitate or congeal the moisture, Iam able to dry'clothes at substantially low temperatures which may, for.example, under a sufficiently high vacuum be substantially belowfreezing. My invention, therefore, permits drying of delicate fabrics,such as rayon, at temperatures far below those at which such fabricsbecome spoiled. It is known, for example, that articles of rayon arelikely to be ruined when subjected to the high temperatures of theclothes dryers of the type which take out the moisture by '7 means of aheating element or by the flow of heated air. To a somewhat less degreewoolen fabrics are also subject to deterioration or shrinkage, whensubject to heating during drying. Employing my method and apparatus Ican remove moisture from fabrics at relatively low temperatures, even insome cases below freezing, and the moisture in suspension canbeprecipitated as frost upon the evaporator, and later removed.

While it is true that the temperature of a condenser of a refrigeratorunder atmospheric conditions cannot be reduced below that of thesurrounding atmosphere, nevertheless, by the use of a sufficiently highvacuum I am enabled to reduce the temperature of the material below thefreezing point. Even though heat is supplied for vaporization orsublimation, the important thing is that by bringing the vacuum down Imay lower the temperature of the air and contents inside the housing 23so that it will pick up water from the clothes by sublimation, and thatmoisture will be condensed on the evapo= rator, provided the temperatureof the evaporator is, as it must be, below the temperature of thecondenser 23.

I claim: a

1. In a drier, an outer housing including a circumferential, generallycylindrical wall, a closed end wall, and an opposite end wall having agenerally axial access opening, a refrigerant evaporator included insaid cylindrical wall, a closure for said access aperture, means forclosing it in substantially air-tight relation to said outer housing, aninner rotatable drier housing mounted for rotation within said outerhousing about a generally horizontal axis generally concentric with theaxis of the cylindrical wall of the outer housing, and means forrotating it, an access opening in said drier housing, co-axial with theaccess opening of the outer housing, said rotatable drier housing havinga generally cylindrical circumferential wall in which a refrigerant condenser is included, an air pervious closure for the access opening of aninner housing, means for rotating the inner housing, and for therebytumbling the articles undergoing drying while they are being heated bythe refrigerant condenser, means for cycling a volatile refrigerantthrough said evaporator and condenser, and for thereby maintaining arelatively high temperature at said condenser and a relatively lowtemperature at said evaporator, means for withdrawing condensed moisturefrom the space within said outer housing but exterior to said innerhousing.

2. The structure of claim I characterized by and including means formaintaining the air within said inner and outer housings atsubatmospheric pressure.

3. In a drier, a tumbling element for articles to be dried, and meansfor rotating it about a predetermined axis, said tumbling elementincluding the condenser of a refrigerating system,

an outer housing in which said tumbling element is housed, an evaporatorfor said refrigerating system, surrounding but out of contact with thetumbling element, and in heat exchange relationship with air in saidouter housing which receives moisture from the articles being dried insaid tumbling element, and means for cycling volatile refrigerantthrough said evaporator and condenser, and for causing evaporation insaid evaporator, and condensation in said condenser.

4. In a drier, a tumbling element for the articles to be dried, andmeans for actuating it, said tumbling element including the condenser ofa refrigerating system, an evaporator for said refrigerating system,surrounding but out of contact with the tumbling element, and in heatexchange relationship with air which receives moisture fromthe articlesbeing dried in said tumbling element, and means for cycling a volatilerefrigerant through said evaporator and condenser, and for causingevaporation in said evaporator, and condensation in said condenser.

5. In a clothes drier, a cylindrical inner housing having a wall adaptedto receive clothing, an outer housing enclosing, spaced from, andgenerally conforming to, the contour of the inner housing, a removableclosure for the outer housing, an end wall of the cylindrical housingbeing ported in communication with the outer housing, a refrigerantsystem including a condenser in the wall of the inner housing and anevaporator in the wall of the outer housing, the wall of the innerhousing being insulated from the air space between it and the outerhousing.

6. In a clothes drier, a cylindrical inner housing having a wall adaptedto receive clothing, an outer housing enclosing, spaced from, andgenerally conforming to, the contour of the inner housing, a removableclosure for the outer housing, an end wall of the cylindrical housingbeing ported in communication with the outer housing, a refrigerantsystem including a condenser in the wall of the inner housing and anevaporator in the wall of the outer housing, the wall of the innerhousing being insulated from the air space between it and the outerhousing, a vacuum pump, a connection between it and the interior of theouter housing at a point far removed from the port joining the inner andouter housings, and means for withdrawing condensed liquid from theouter housing.

WILLARD L. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 787,093 Gathmann Apr. 11, 19051,014,462 Grosvenor Jan. 9, 1912 1,119,011 Grosvenor Dec. 1, 19141,160,109 Henrici Nov. 9, 1915 1,215,951 Martini Feb. 13, 1917 2,132,897Gentele Oct. 11, 1938 2,156,845 Gentele May 2, 1939 2,310,680 DinleyFeb. 9, 1943 2,345,548 Fiosdorf Mar. 28, 1944 2,369,366 ONeil Feb. 13,1945 2,374,232 Pfeifier et a1 Apr. 24, 1945 2,418,239 Smith Apr. 1, 19472,440,416 vProudfoot Apr. 2'7, 194d FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date163,549 Great Britain May 26, 1921 8,269 Australia Aug. 3, 1933 840,092France Jan. 11, 1939

